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Police, Oct. 28

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No injuries resulted from an incident in which gunshots were fired from a vehicle in the area of Ninth and Hayes streets in Hazleton on Friday.

City police said several witnesses and victims told them a sport utility vehicle approached them and began to fire a gun at them.

Police recovered several bullet shell casings in the street where the incident occurred, and are continuing their investigation into the incident.

Hit-and-run vehicle damages Hazle Twp. fence

A hit-and-run vehicle struck and damaged a fence at the intersection of state Route 309 and Breaker Street in the village of Hollywood, Hazle Township, early Saturday.

State police at Hazleton said the sport utility vehicle was traveling south on Route 309, and went out of control as it made a right turn onto Breaker Street, running off the road and striking the fence at 4 Breaker St. at 3:30 a.m.

The hit-and-run vehicle is described as being a white or silver SUV, possibly a Ford Edge, with damage to the front bumper and the driver's side fog light assembly.

Laptop stolen from home in Hazle Township

Elisa Mairena reported to state police that thieves entered her Grape Vine Lane, Hazle Township home and removed a laptop computer between 8:15 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday.

Man suspected of prowling in city

A 50-year-old Freeland man is suspected of prowling around a Hazleton home and knocking on its doors at about 2:04 a.m. Oct. 18.

Jeffrey Harris resisted arrest and was found with drugs and a knife when he was taken into custody, city police said.

He was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, harassment, manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, use or possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned later that day by Magisterial District Judge Joseph Zola, who set bail at $10,000 unsecured.

Court papers state Harris was found in the area of 200 S. Pine St. after police were notified that a man was prowling around the building and banging on doors.

Police said Harris appeared intoxicated and refused to talk to officers or remove his hands from his pockets. He ran from officers, who caught up with him, but he resisted arrest, court papers state. He was handcuffed after police punched him in the abdomen area three times, said officers, who found two baggies of suspected cocaine and a 4-inch knife.

Mountain Top man faces charges after dispute

Michael A. Catrone III, 40, Mountain Top, faces charges of simple assault and harassment after a domestic dispute involving one of his daughters in Hazleton on Oct. 12.

He was arraigned on the charges Oct. 13 by Magisterial District Judge John E. Hasay, Shickshinny. Bail was set at $5,000, which was posted through a professional bondsman, according to a court docket.

Court papers allege that at about 5 p.m. on Oct. 12, Catrone grabbed the victim by the hair inside 834 W. Fourth St., slapped her several times and dragged her into another room where he threw her on the floor and kicked her in the head.

The victim, whose age is unknown, was taken to Hazleton General Hospital for evaluation after stating her head hurt and felt numb.

Woman charged for allegedly stealing credit card

Court papers allege Tania A. Germosen, 38, Hazleton, stole and activated another woman's credit card in May and charged almost $3,000 in purchases.

The card was mailed to the victim while she was visiting the Dominican Republic for a few weeks and after the victim returned to the United States, she found the card was activated and used to make $2,927.30 in purchases.

Weatherly man faces charges for stealing electricity

Weatherly police allege a borough man stole electricity after it was shut off for nonpayment.

Ernesto Matos, 47, was charged with theft of services and theft by unlawful taking, police said.

Matos' power was shut off Aug. 28 but he turned it back on, illegally using $85.80 in electricity from Aug. 28 to Sept. 19, court papers state.

Pair faces gun, drug charges

Two men face charges after a gun and drugs were found in a vehicle in which they were passengers.

Oliver Emilo Rivera, 19, Drums, was charged by state police at Hazleton with manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver, receiving stolen property, possession of firearm prohibited, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arraigned Oct. 13 by Magisterial District Judge John E. Hasay, Shickshinny, with bail set at $50,000. He awaits a preliminary hearing.

Dariel Jose Antonio, 21, Hazleton, was charged with receiving stolen property, firearm not to be carried without a license and possession of a small amount of marijuana. According to court papers, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the charges before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Zola, Hazleton, on Oct. 17.

Court papers state Rivera and Antonio were passengers in a vehicle that troopers stopped for an expired registration at Lincoln and 15th streets around 2:39 a.m. Oct. 13.

Police said they found a gun, marijuana, 10 baggies of suspected heroin, six baggies of suspected crack cocaine, 12 clear capsules of white powder and two suspected Xanax pills inside the vehicle.

Man faces charges for becoming unruly with medics

A Coaldale man being treated for a medical problem allegedly became unruly with ambulance workers and police tending to him Oct. 13.

Angelo V. Maldonado, 23, was charged with aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, who set bail at $7,500.

According to court papers, ambulance and police were dispatched by Schuylkill County 911 to 250 Second St. in Coaldale at about 1:19 a.m. and found Maldonado on the ground unconscious and not breathing. When Maldonado regained consciousness, he began yelling at police and ambulance workers before he was placed in handcuffs, police said.

Emergency responders took him to St. Luke's Hospital-Miners Campus for evaluation, and upon arrival he attempted to spit on ambulance personnel, refused treatment, and became obnoxious with nurses and doctors, spitting at them and yelling obscenities, according to court papers.

Tamaqua police assisted.

Men face charges after stealing from laundromat

West Hazleton police believe two men broke into a borough laundromat Sept. 30 and stole quarters from a change-dispensing machine.

Michael J. Sluck, 21, West Hazleton, was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary, burglary, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. He was arraigned Oct. 10 by Magisterial District Judge James Dixon, who set bail at $35,000.

David Moran, 46, also of West Hazleton, is charged with conspiracy, burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property. He awaits a hearing.

According to court papers, both men broke into Broad Street Laundry, 235 E. Broad St., sometime around 4 a.m. Sept. 30 and stole quarters from two coin dispensers. Minutes later they cashed the coins in at a coin redemption machine at Giant Supermarket, 70 S. Locust St., Hazleton, obtaining $275.75, and then cashed in another $300.60 worth of change at a similar machine in Walmart, Hazle Township.

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